Mando Bk. 03: General Badass Ch. 09

Chapter 9: The Terrorists' New Plot

Danny ' s point of view

I settle back to take five minutes for myself when my intercom buzzes. Madam President, Agent Jack Feral from the CIA is on line three.

"Thanks." I punch the button for line three. "Hello Agent Feral, how can I be of help?"

"Sorry to interrupt, Madam President, but there's an unusual amount of excitement in Al-Qaida at the moment. It started yesterday, which is one day after the earthquake in Kashmir, Pakistan that killed over eighty-five thousand people and injured over a hundred thousand. You're the anti-terrorist field expert, and I'm just an analyst. Could there be a connection?"

I drum my fingers on my desk as I concentrate and search for opportunities for Al-Qaida. "I'll give it more thought, Agent Feral, but check out volunteer groups flying from America to help. Look for the largest ones and private jets with medical professionals, wealthy philanthropists, and other famous people. Size is irrelevant."

"I am looking for that because?"

"Because Allah will deliver a fat plane with its belly full of potential infidel Americans hostages to their front door. It's ripe for hijacking and taking hostages. They will hold medical teams and rich and famous people for ransom, and the large groups will, to use their words, bring America to its knees."

"Thank you, Madam President."

I finish the call sick to my stomach, knowing those bastards don't give a tinker's damn about the number of earthquake victims who will die, suffer longer, starve, and be homeless without help from the intended hostages.

My bones and gut support my instinct. I instruct office personnel to research specific individual assignments before I prepare for my next meeting.

I leave the conference room with foreboding. I return to my desk and call Jan. "Find anything?"

"Big time. A private jet with thirty doctors and fifty nurses is going in the morning. A philanthropist is going with his team in his jet. He's a three-billion dollar prize. They will film on sight to recruit volunteers. Over forty volunteer groups are going. What next?"

"Get the departure and arrival dates of the rich and famous as quickly as you can and put a copy in Jack's and my email. Thanks." I drop the phone in its cradle. Who am I kidding? We won't know who they'll target until they do.

Jack reads the list and calls back. "Looks mouthwatering for Al Qaeda. Any suggestions?" " Yes, locate the five closest places terrorists have held large groups of hostages and let's study them. We should have teams near those bases."

"Yes, Mam. I'll keep you posted."

I end my hectic day with a useless meeting with my wardrobe consultant. I'm doing a slow burn wasting time on such frivolity. Power suits, power ties, friendly blouses, distinguishing jewelry, the right make-up, and such shit. America wants a president, not a fashion model for the Modern Business Women magazine. I'm a president, not a queen for god's sake! Humph. I'll have uniforms made and save this bullshit for special occasions. I type up a reminder note and head to our apartment.

That evening Gino and I talk.

"Gino the disastrous earthquake in Pakistan will require millions for them to recover, plus millions to keep the volunteer workers safe. Can our foundation help?"

His response is immediate. "Absolutely. No limit. Just let me know what's needed. You expect trouble?"

"Um-hmmm. I'm considering how attractive so many American volunteers heading to Pakistan could be to a terrorist." I shiver. I don't like to think about what can happen.

"Sounds scary; any ideas?"

I have to take my mind off this, so I grin. "Here's a good one. Let's fuck. Wow me with something new. That'll clear my head to sort out possible demonic terrorist threats and plots."

He grins back. "Something new, huh?" He draws an X on my forehead with his finger. "I have an idea for us to tackle.""

"I need a hard pounding; will this position do that?" I eye him with a lustful gaze.

"The X-sex position makes you tighter, which makes my cock seem much bigger."

My eyes must have dilated with desire. "Bigger? Tighter? That I like." The heat is burning inside me. I'm so excited I'm ready to run to bed.

He scoops me up and carries me to the bedroom, laughing all the way. "You and me both."

***

I awaken to an epiphany. I get up quietly and go to my desk to flesh out my thoughts and ideas in a rough outline. Before breakfast, Gino studies the outline one phase at a time.

Five minutes go by before he looks up. He kisses me and grins. "Honey, this is fantastic. Getting the various Arab nations to agree on territory division will be the biggest bear, I imagine because it could cause more conflict instead of agreement. Some form of an entity or group involving all Arab countries could be the approval board. If they come to decisions that would cause more international harm than good, the corporations would withdraw support and move their businesses."

He kisses me again and beams. "This really is primo, Danny. Go for it."

***

It's seven AM and time for the meeting with agent Jack Feral. I invited the director of the CIA special activities division, the Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff and suggested they bring or invite those involved in matters relating to international conflict and those contributing to the safety of our citizen volunteers going to Pakistan.

We take the first sip of our coffee, and I set my cup down on its saucer. "Gentlemen, thank you for coming. Jack will brief us on the problem."

Jack goes straight to the business. He outlines the problem and possible impact and outcomes.

I stand. "Gentlemen, I have a meeting soon, so with your permission, I'd like to go first. I have some thoughts for your consideration. They are rough, oversimplified ideas as a place to start. Tweak or omit as you see fit. This is your area, so these are thoughts only. You are the professionals and decision makers in this area. May I proceed?"

They could do nothing but agree with the President.

"This situation in Pakistan creates the exact opportunity for a plan the terrorist made fifteen years ago and waited for the right opportunity to implement the plan. The plan revolves around getting thousands of hostages from the west to use as currency. I will show you how the current situation is like the Pope and President being at the airport at the same time. It presents an opportunity they won't pass up, and then I'll forecast their demands."

Everyone's eyes rivet to mine. The possibility that the Pakistan disaster presents a picture-perfect opportunity the terrorists won't pass up strikes fear and trepidation in the deepest wrinkles and crinkles of their brains.

I drop the bad news. "Our planes will deliver hostages to their country at no cost, risk, or complications, and very little manpower."

My listeners blanch.

"Jack explained the potential hijacking. The opportunity looks perfect for taking the hostages to different hostage camps in different countries. The goal is correct but substitute bus hijacking for aircraft. It is much simpler." I look at each one.

"Buses providing free transportation for the volunteers from the airport to the disaster zone will meet the planes upon arrival. But instead of the disaster zone, they will take a predetermined percentage of volunteers to hostage camps in the likely areas Jack listed. The potential for twenty thousand hostages without a struggle is doable if unexpected. Twice that is possible depending upon the number of volunteers, groups, and the number of countries involved."

"Organizations like the Peace Corps, Salvation Army, Red Cross, National Guard, Doctors without Walls, Americares, construction companies, religious and other humanitarian organizations will dump volunteers by the thousands. Medical, building, food and clothing supplies from fortune five hundred companies will go to terrorist armies to swell their ranks through new recruits."

The faces in front of me are the color of tallow with dread and disbelief tattooed deep. Full-scale alarm is unanimous.

"The ransom will not be money, prisoner exchanges, or demands for certain actions. The ransom will be a price fix on oil somewhere in the vicinity of two hundred dollars a barrel with increases at set intervals for a specified number of years. Captors will release between fifty and a hundred hostages depending on how many they have. They will treat hostages with mercy as long as we cooperate." I pause. "However, their view of mercy differs from ours. The hostages will have a rough life."

General Hogue erupts. "That'll finance the building of huge terrorist armies and buy state--the-art war machines! We'll be sealing our own doom."

I regard him sadly. "Exactly. Today, forty-five percent of terrorist revenues come from oil, and twenty-two percent come from hostage taking. These tactics will double their revenues instantly, and triple or even quadruple over the coming years as the prices escalate and their territories increase. The rising price of oil will revive the economies in the Arab nations and create an unspoken alliance between terrorists and Arab nations. These countries will gladly hide hostages for guaranteed high oil prices."

"Damn it all to hell, Madam President, we've got to nip this in the bud today!"

"Excuse me, Madam President. What do you see as their long-range military plan?"

I nod. "Gloomy and disastrous, sir. Once ISIS and Al-Qaida have their finances in shape, they'll take over an unstable country like Iraq. This country will be home to any Muslim terrorist group looking for a permanent home."

The CIA specialist slams his fists on the table. "A country populated and governed by terrorists, by god! A country run by terrorists and their ideals with enough citizens to build an army of five hundred thousand soldiers in just a few months. Damn!"

I nod. "Right, and then they'll grow. They will take one small Arab state at a time to swell their armies with soldiers, increase their oil holdings to massive levels, and destabilize larger countries. Bigger countries also have armies and war equipment the terrorists will take. Weapons of mass destruction will be part of the terrorist arsenal." That is too horrific to imagine.

"Excuse me, Madam President. What is the end goal here?"

I give him the bad news. "The goal is to own all Arab countries first and become the most powerful nation in the world with millions of conscripted soldiers. This will threaten wholesale Jihad for those who will not convert to Islam."

The dead air in the room is so thick it is almost visible. The smell of sweat mingled with fear is so acrid swallowing requires increasing effort.

I continue building visions of horror. "With economic control as their new weapon, their goal is reachable. Terrorists will own OPEC and add to it. Control of the world's supply of oil will control all nations' armies indirectly and economies directly. Taking over a nation's government will no longer be necessary because they'll manipulate them through economics, price fixing, protection rackets, and fear. When that happens, they will control manufacturers of war equipment, and therefore hamstring and castrate all armies but theirs."

I survey the rapt listeners. They are justifiably terrified. "Expect other new demands, like pulling troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq to tumble down the chute after setting exorbitant long term oil prices."

The Secretary of defense is incredulous. "By God, that'll work. Oil prices impact the cost of goods, transportation, and many other things that drive the economy. Prolonged high oil prices could throw the world economy into a nosedive so deep recovery will be nigh impossible."

I wait for the resulting uproar to die down. "Ladies and Gentlemen, meet a new form of terrorism; economic and financial control."

Pandemonium breaks out as the audience considers this new possible threat. I let a few minutes go by for the free flowing of ideas before bringing the meeting back on task. "Ladies and Gentlemen, small-time terrorism will cease. After training and building up war machines, they're ready to go global using the same model, starting with individual countries with no armies, gradually building up to larger ones, converting all countries to Islam as they go."

"Holy mother of God! This earthquake can put terrorism as a new world power!"

I nod. "They've waited fifteen years for the right catalyst to launch this scheme. Now they have it."

"But Madam President, when you predicted their action with the President, Vice President, and the Pope, you had a solution. What do you propose?"

For the first time, I smile. "The first step is underway. Press releases are being written for all international news media disclosing the terrorists' intent to hijack the volunteers at the human expense of Pakistan's victims of a natural disaster. It will cause international outrage which will justify our providing airport security, transportation to rescue sites, temporary housing, and food tents in guarded compounds. Help from NATO is a foregone conclusion."

The collective sigh of relief is like a rushing wind.

"Phew! Thank god."

I explain how to use the disaster to rebuild and stabilize the poor Arab countries' governments and economies to reduce their vulnerability to these tactics, and to insert American and Western economic influence to make them dependent upon us, and how to reverse the financial control model without the use of violence, armies, or interference in their governments. Business will finance most reconstruction that lessens Arab governments' dependence on oil by strengthening local economies and exports.

I answer questions and turn off the power point presentation. "Those are my observations, conclusions, and suggestions. Discuss the potential opportunity this disaster represents and use any of these ideas as a starting point if you wish. I know some of you have ideas for consideration I hate to miss, but I must excuse myself now."

"Clear your calendars for a working lunch here in the conference room to share any conclusions you have reached or problems or solutions you wish to introduce and determine action plans for. Invite those whom you think should join us, or wait to present our completed plan if you wish."

I head for the door. "Jack, you've got the floor. I'll see you gentlemen at once."

Before lunch my mentor, General Hogue, stops by. "Excuse me Madam President, may I have a word?"

I am far too busy for over two words, but I am polite. "Certainly. What's the word?"

"May I sit?" He points at the chair.

I motion to a chair. "Please do." What else could I say?

He sits down. "Madam President, you set us on our heads with your projection of the opportunity the disaster presents to the terrorist, and the opportunity it represents to us. You projected possible actions and presented ways to prevent them."

"Yes, General, I hope that was helpful."

"Helpful? Hell, none of us had thought beyond that potential terrorist hostile action and the proper response. But you turned the disaster into an opportunity for stabilizing countries and dealing with political, military, and economic issues, and then a long-term plan as the final step."

My simple forecast and solutions took root, it seems." General, I am pleased to have something concrete to offer in my term as President."

He nods. "I just stopped by to give you a heads up. The attendees took that plan, filled in gaps and detailed steps. Do this successfully, and all of us will join your reelection campaign."

He stands, wearing a broad smile. "That's all I wanted to tell you, but I'm sure you also see the irreversible danger you placed yourself in as President-plus other threats you may be under."

More danger? "What do you mean?" I don't like the direction this conversation is going.

He frowns. "The threat to the Hawk will take the tenth seat. The terrorist's number one enemy has a new face; yours, the President of the USA. And Madam President the difference is your identity and movements are public. No reward is necessary to flush you out. After this press release goes viral, triple your security and the thickness of your body armor. Your family's too."

He scampers out the door before I could thank him for his kudos and concern. I'm rattled. More danger? More head hunters?

The meeting at one is off to a jump start, and implementation of preventive and security measures turn the white house, military, and intelligence agencies into a hornet's nest and beehive of activity.

But the General was right. The US President's enemy list didn't just swell, it merged.

The next month is a never-ending whirlwind and pressure cooker with constructive results for free countries and devastating results for terrorists' dream of international Jihad and a Muslim World. The division of states for territories was the bottleneck, but as I hoped, the agreement highlights the Western intent for Arabs to govern Arabs without interference from the west.

The General's prediction gathers momentum by the day.